If you're looking for the bright acoustic folk of Mangan's 2009 Polaris Prize Shortlisted Nice, Nice, Very Nice you're in for a surprise. The Vancouver troubadour mines a new batch of folk stories, while exploring textured arrangements with a bigger, richer sound than previously heard, on his third disc Oh Fortune.
Opened with the waltzing "About As Helpful As I Can Be Without Being Any Help At All," Oh Fortune quickly establishes it's own persona. Anchored by the energetic folk-rock of "Post-War Blues" infectious galloping drums and "Starts With Them, Ends With Us" rising crescendo of horns this is not the Dan of old. Though Mangan is quick to remind he's not abandoned his simple, melancholic folk on the moody "If I Am Dead" or shimmering acoustic guitar of "Leaves, Trees, Forest."
A more confident, adventurous Mangan is present on his third album, at times appearing to be a far cry from the singer-songwriter we first encountered, but at its heart Oh Fortune has the same simple structure that made Nice, Nice, Very Nice so captivating.
Essential Tracks: "Post-War Blues," "Starts With Them, Ends With Us," and "Oh Fortune"
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